Raiders Dip In Power Rankings After Close Loss To Chiefs

The Las Vegas Raiders have been arguably the biggest surprise of the young NFL season. Klint Kubiak and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins got off to a 3-0 start, and No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza wasn't anywhere in sight. 

In Week 4, the Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs battled it out in a matchup of undefeated teams. And, for some time, it looked like the Raiders were going to get the win, and Kubiak was so confident that he said this during the halftime interview. 

In the end, the Raiders couldn't overcome a dynamic performance by Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III. 

He had back-to-back touchdowns, and Las Vegas lost a tough game, 30-27, at Allegiant Stadium. 

After Week 4 came to an end, Nick Shook of NFL.com had new power rankings, and the Raiders went down from No. 10 to No. 12. 

"There are no moral victories here, but the Raiders sure have plenty to be proud of after their narrow Week 4 loss to Kansas City," Shook wrote. 

Sure, there are no moral victories, but the Raiders proved they can hang around with arguably the best team in the AFC. 

As of now, the Chiefs are at No. 2 on Shook's rankings, and they are the top team in the AFC, with the only one above them being the San Francisco 49ers, who ended up defeating the Denver Broncos in Week 4. 

The Raiders waited around a long time to hire Kubiak, and the Super Bowl champion OC has made the transition to being a head coach as seamless as possible. 

The team believes in him, and edge rusher Maxx Crosby is playing well after almost being officially traded this offseason. 

Cousins, who won the QB1 job over Mendoza, has done nothing but show that he will continue to be the starter until he begins to play badly, and running back Ashton Jeanty continues to show why he was highly regarded after his career at Boise State. 

In Week 5, the Raiders have another big test, this one coming on the road against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. 

Sure, New England got off to a rough start, but Mike Vrabel's team just stunned Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills in Week 4, so maybe Drake Maye and company have figured things out. 

A Raiders win in Week 5 should have them right back in the top-10 conversation in these rankings, but a loss will send them down a bit more.